was looking at Pinterest the other day for some fun 4th of July nail art and I decided I would try something on my own! Let me tell you, it took quite a few tries to get the star looking semi-decent but I think the end result isn't half bad! I love this holiday…there is something so fun and liberating about the 4th. I am hoping to spend some good quality time with my family, eat delicious food, and rock red, white & blue all weekend long!

There is nothing I love more than a good farmer's market. Fresh fruits, veggies, and flowers are my favorite! I love to have fresh food to eat for the week then replenish the supply next Saturday! The Des Moines Farmer's market is huge. There are so many good vendors…and so many people. You have a tendency to get lost if you aren't paying attention. This weekend especially, it was very hot and crowded but I picked up this fun straw hat, pretty blooms, strawberries, cherries, cherry tomatoes, and honey! It was definitely a success.

We ride our bikes to the farmer's market (we are close in proximity), so I especially like to wear comfortable and casual clothing. This slouchy linen tee from The Loft was perfect! Very light-weight and very comfortable. I topped it off with my boyfriend jeans, simple sandals, and a large leather tote for carrying all my purchased goods.

This summer seems to be zooming by. We are one week away from 4th of July weekend! I thought today I would share a round-up of some outfits lately…some of these are perfect for weddings, summer concerts, casual farmer's market days, etc. Below I have also rounded up some fun things we could all use for summer and the 4th of July!

There is no doubt, I am a snacker. I would rather snack all day then eat meals. With that being said, I try to eat healthy snacks that way I don't gain 50 lbs. in one day. Well, the summertime is my favorite when it comes to good snacks because everything is fresh! There is nothing I love more than going to the farmer's market, picking up fresh produce at the grocery store, etc.

Currently, I am living in Des Moines, just me. It is soooo hard to cook for one person…so I choose not to most of the time and have a snack instead. Well, corn bean salsa is one of those snacks that is not only extremely healthy, but it's extremely good, and extremely easy to make. Most of you have probably made this before, or have eaten this before but I am sharing my concoction anyways.

You will need:

// 1 can black beans

// A bowl of corn (I prefer frozen over canned)

// Fresh cherry tomatoes

// Fresh Cilantro

// Half of Fresh Lime (for the juice)

// Your favorite chips…I prefer organic, yellow or white corn chips!

-Rinse your black beans.

-Chop your cilantro.

-Cut up the cherry tomatoes, I like mine in bigger pieces, but cut them according to your desires!

Add all of the ingredients, and squeeze in the juice from a half of a lime, stir, and enjoy!!! It's literally like a garden party in my mouth…I'm in heaven.

I have always been a fan of distressed denim, but sometimes it can be hard to pull off. Even in these jeans I feel like my legs look a little bigger than they should, but whatever! The brand is Flying Monkey; if you haven't heard of it, you are missing out! The jeans have a lot of stretch in them, not the kind of stretch that is too big to wear the next day though. I hate jeans that don't even stretch the slightest…it feels like you're wearing a cast all day.

Yesterday was a pretty productive day, I found a couple of jobs to apply for (fingers crossed) and I explored the city some more. There is something so fun about finding new places and new things to do in a larger city that you call your home.

The one problem I am always running into when living in an apartment is I have either too much storage or not enough. I haven't decided with the new place what the case is here but I have realized that I lost valuable storage in my closet and office. The office (second bedroom) has a large closet, like the main bedroom and that is where I keep all my stuff. I find it fun to have my office and my closet together. Since I am always doing outfit posts I like to see what I am working with. Well, my closet at the last place was huge and even though this one is large, I am definitely missing space. I needed to find a fun way to not only store my office things but also some things that were in my closet. Behold, the Vittsjö shelf.

I was channeling inspiration from these photos:

And this is what I got: (I don't think this is the finished product…but it's a start.)

I definitely love that I can see what I have and I think it looks great on display. My closet is directly to the right of this shelf (it has sliding doors), so everything is one place. Also, I think it's fun to change it up with the seasons. Instead of wedges on display, they will go into storage and my booties will come out! I'll swap the beach hat for a wool hat, the bright jewelry for fall jewels and scarves. This shelf is very versatile which is exactly what I was looking for when decorating this space.

P.S Thanks for all your feedback last week on the new place! Are there any more decorating tips or tricks you have for me?

Dress, Purse, Necklace from Lot2029 (you can call or Facebook them and they will ship to your house!) // Heels

If there is one thing every gal needs in her closet it is a summer dress. A dress that can be worn to church, brunch, picnic, wedding, etc. You can dress this dress up or down play it with a cardigan and sandals…however you style it, it's definitely my favorite dress I have had so far!

I am pretty picky when it comes to the shape of the dress…I don't like to wear things that are skin tight, or show too much. This dress is the perfect combination of flirty and conservative. Oh, and the floral print is one of my favs!

Did everyone have a good Father's Day? I was outside most of the weekend setting/decorating a wedding and watching my little brother's baseball games so I am definitely feeling the Monday blues. I am still on the job hunt. Apparently I live in a city where there are a ton of jobs, but they are all taken. Wish me luck.

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